North Korea’s Defense Minister Noh Kwang-chul has claimed that the North Korean regime will begin “more aggressive” actions against the “enemy” after a new round of ballistic missiles was launched into the Sea of Japan shortly after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s symbolic visit to the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.
“In the future, any threat that intrudes into our security area will be a direct target of North Korea and will be managed in any necessary way. We are ready to respond to everything. Based on the principles of ensuring security and defending peace through strong force, we will demonstrate more aggressive actions against enemy threats,” North Korea’s foreign minister said in a statement carried by state news agency Korean Central News Agency.
He did not mention the missile launches, but cited recent joint exercises between South Korean and U.S. militaries in the region and conversations Hegseth had in the Asian country to justify a more belligerent stance.
Noh Kwang-cheol said, “This is a clear revelation and a deliberate reveal of their hostile nature, which is to stand up to North Korea until the end.”
Similarly, he insisted that the United States would “never” avoid responding because “there is no other choice” due to the United States’ “hostility” toward North Korea. “Imagine where we would be in such a situation, and what would the world expect of us?” the memo reads.
Early Friday morning, South Korea’s military condemned North Korea’s short-range missile launch, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned a day earlier that he would take retaliatory measures in protest of the latest U.S. sanctions on individuals and entities with ties to North Korea.
The US Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on eight North Korean nationals, including two bankers, and two entities with ties to North Korea for their ties to cybercrime and money laundering.
America is ‘ready’
The U.S. Army Indo-Pacific Command said the launches posed no threat to U.S. forces, although it said North Korea’s military actions were “destabilizing.”
“We are aware of the missile launch and are in close contact with our allies and partners. While we assess this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or allies, this missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of North Korea’s actions.
“The United States remains ready to defend its territory and regional allies,” the military said in a statement.
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